Naisagawa ng mga sundalo ng Pilipinas at United States (US) ang ikatlong maritime exercise sa West Philippine Sea (WPS) nitong Biyernes.
Paliwanag ni Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Western Command commander, Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos, ang tagumpay ng ikatlong AFP-U.S. INDOPACOM Maritime Cooperative Activity ay patunay ng commitment ng dalawang bansa sa pagtataguyod ng regional security at matatag, malaya at bukas na Indo-Pacific region.
Sinabi ng opisyal, sumali sa joint military drills ang BRP Gregorio Del Pilar at AW109 Helicopter (NH434) ng Philippine Navy at USS Gabrielle Giffords ng US Navy
Aniya, tampok sa aktibidad ang passing exercises, communication at photo exercise, division tactics at Officer of the Watch (OW) maneuvers.
Layunin din ng military exercise na mapalawak ang interoperability ng mga ito sa pamamagitan ng pagsasagawa ng maritime security at maritime domain awareness operations.
“The continuous maritime cooperative activity manifests the enduring partnership between the Philippines and the U.S. militaries. It demonstrates our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and fosters closer cooperation towards further enhancing our maritime capabilities,” pahayag naman ni AFP Chief of Staff, General Romeo Brawner, Jr.
